Plant diseases caused by mites, bacteria and fungi have a significant adverse impact on the production of important crops worldwide. The most important mites include spider mites, causing damages to many fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Examples include the two-spotted spider mite and the citrus rust mite. Chemical control has met with increasing difficulties, among others the development of resistance to pesticides, and to regulatory issues. Fungi secrete a wide range of secondary metabolites, of which many are toxic to other organisms and microorganisms, and may be used for biocontrol in agricultural systems. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method of controlling crop pests, employing fungal metabolites.
It is another object of this invention to provide a pesticide for protecting important crops against mites, bacteria and fungi.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an acaricide derived from fungi.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an acaricidal composition for protecting plants, including their fruits, susceptible to mites, bacteria and fungi.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a method of controlling and preventing the infestation by mites and eventually other pests (including bacteria and fungi), comprising applying fungus-derived components.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a method of preparing a pesticidal formulation for protecting plants susceptible to mites, bacteria and fungi, such as citrus fruits.
Other objects and advantages of present invention will appear as description proceeds.